Unit tray



Jan- 5 1926. 1568,468

E. H. PRATT UNI T TRAY Filed June 20, 1924 INVENTOR Z. Z Pra $6,

ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

EDWIN HART PRATT, OF COBVAISLIS, OREGON.

UNIT TRAY.

Application filed June 20, 1924. Serial No. 721,256.

To 61 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN TTART PRATT, a citizen of the United States,and aresident of Corvallis, in the county of Benton and State of Oregon,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Unit Trays, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tray units and has for its object theprovision of a tray having slidable handles adapted to lock with legs ofa superimposed tray so that it is possible to lock a plurality of traysin a vertical series.

A further object of the invention is the provision of readily removablehinges for connecting a pair of trays together or for hingedlyconnecting an inverted tray to the topmost tray of a series whereby thefirst mentioned inverted tray will form a cover for the series of trays.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a.receptacle forming a complate and independent unit in itself, and soconstructed that a series of the trays may be readily'locked into avertical column to form a chest, cabinet or trunk of any desired depthand capacity.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawingforming a part of the specification; nevertheless it is to be understoodthat the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptibleof such changes and moditications which shall define no materialdeparture from the salient features of the invention as expressed in theappended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a view in perspective of one end of the frame with partsbroken away to show the slidable construction of the handle.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of a series of vertically disposed trayslocked together.

F igure 3 is a fragmentary plan view part 1 y in section showing theslidable construclion of the handles.

Figure l is a fragu'ientary vertical section showing the guide for theslidable handle.

F igure 5 is a fragmentary view showing the pivotal connections of apair oi": trays.

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of a guide for the sliding handles.

deferring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that thetrays are formed substantially rectangular in shape and have end bars 1and longitudinal side bars 2 morticed or connected in any approvedmannerat their abutting ends. A bottom 3 is removably mounted. in each framein a manner which will be presently explained. The top face l of eachend bar is cut away intermediate its ends to receive a metal plate 5.The bars are further cut away to provide a recess for the U-shapedguides 6 for the sliding arms 7 of a handle 8. The handles 8 are cutaway as shown at 8 to receive a strap for securin a plurality of thetrays together. The inner vertical edge of the U-shaped guides 6 are cutaway as shown at 9 which is adapted to receive the projection 10 on theinner adjacent. edges of the sliding arms 7 of said handle.

The upper ends of the U-shaped guides 6 are provided with upstandinglugs 11 which are adapted to be passed through perforations in the plate5 and swaged over for locking said plate to the upper edges of theU-shaped guides 6. Secured within a cutout portion of the under face ofthe bottoms of the end bars 1 of the frame are plates 12 which extendinwardly of the end bars. U- shaped legs 12 are secured to the inwardextensions of said plates and are adapted to support the trays above thetop of a table. The legs are positioned to receive the inner ends of thearms 7 of the handle 8 when the trays are superimposed upon each otherwith the U-shaped legs projecting into the underneath tray. The legs 12are so positioned that they will aline with the inner ends of the guides6 so that when the handle 8 is shoved inwardly the arms 7 of the handlewill be inserted into the U-shaped legs 12 and whereby a series of traysmay be locked in rigid relation and in vertical alinement. Theextensions of the plate 12 rest against the under'faces of each bottom.

The bottoms 3 are removable and if desired they may be dispensed withand the frames locked together in the manner which has just beendescribed for forming a trunk or chest as shown more particularly inFigure 3. As disclosed in Figures 2 and -l. the bottoms 3 of each trayrest on the projecting plates 12 which are secured to the under face ofeach end bar 1. Therefore it is only necessary to reach beneath eachframe and raise the bottom from its support on the plates 12 forremoving the bottoms since the arms '7 may be moved to their outermostposition to permit such removal.

A closure for the trunk, chest or a single tray may be provided byhinging one of the trays to a side bar 2 of the frame of the traywhereby said tray is swingably mounted tt'ron'i a side edge of the lowertray and adapted to be positioned in an inverted manner on top oil? thetray. Provision is made for such a situation by forming horizontal slots13 in the side members and at a predetermined distance from the topedges of the trays which are adapted to receive the corrugated angularlydisposed sections i l of the h' d members 15 which are pivoted togetherat 16. Zhe hinges are readily removable and due to the corrugations ofthe plates ll they will provide suilicient 'lrictional resistance todisplacement to maintain the hinges in position. The tray forming theclosure for a series of trays may be readily removed when desired. Thebottoms 3 may be removed from the intermediate frames of the trays sothat the trays may form a chest or trunk of considerable depth.

Tfhen it is desired to release the trays it is only necessary towithdraw the handle 8 whereby the arms 7 will be moved "from theirlocking engagement with the legs 12 of the trays.

The notches 8 or? the handles provide a series of vertically alinedrecesses to receive a strap for securing in a more rigid manner thecombined trays which are coordinated to term a trunk or chest.

hat I claim is:

1. A tray comprising a frame having pairs of spaced end bars and sidebars, a bottom mounted in the frame, guides mounted in he end bars,handles having inwardly procting arms slidable in the guides, means toprevent complete withdrawal of the arms of the handles from the guidesand it shaped legs secured to the under face of the end bar and invertical alinement with the guides whereby when a second tray is su)erimposed upon another tray and the logs are disposerL within the lowertray the arms handles may be moved into th alined leg? ior locking thetrays together.

A tray comprising a frame having end bars and side bars, and a bottomremovably mounted in the frame, handles having pairs of arms slidablymounted in the end bars with. the arms movable into the trays, legssecured to the hotton'i ot' the tray and aiming with the slidable armsand adapted to receive the arms of a second tray when the firstmentioned tray is SllPBl'llHPOSGQl upon the second tray whereby thetrays are locked rigidly together.

A tray comprising a frame having end bars and side bars, a bottommoun'ed in the frames, said end bars being provided with spacedrecesses, a plate having U- shaped guides secured thereto in spacedrelation and depending from said plate and adap ed to be received withinthe recesses -n the 1 id bars, L ehaped handles l'iaving arias slidablymounted in the guides with the inner tree ends of the arms movable intthe tray, said trays being provided with shaped tor sup orting the trayand :ecured to the bottom of the tray and in a lateral alin nnent withthe inner ends of the guides, said legs oi a superimposed tray beingadapted to aline with the guides for receiving the movable arms of thehandles who 'ehy the tray are locked in rigid relation with each other.

A tray comprising a frame having end l ars and side bars, handlesslidably mounted in the end bars, means secured to the bottom of thetray and adapted to cooperate with the slidable handles of a traypositioned below the superimposed. tray tor locking said trays together.

:3. A tray comprising a frame having end bars and side bars, handlesslidabl mounted in the end bars, means secured to the bottom of the trayand adapted to cooperate with the slidable handles of a tray positionedbelow the sul'ierimposed tray tor lochii'ig sai trays together, and aremovable cove! adapt ed to be connected with one of the b. 11 traycomprising a frame having cud bars and side bars. handles slidahlymounted in the end bars. lei-shaped members secured to the under face ofeach end bar and cit-- tending inwardly oi each end bar and adapt-- edto receive the slidable hamlles oi a tray positioned below thesuperimposed tray u,- loching the trays together, bottoms remow ablymounted in each tra and adapted to be supported at the ends thereof bythe. l}- shaped members, and a removable cover adapted to be connectetwith one ol the trays.

